Otti was accompanied to the Atani and Aro Day celebrations by his wife, Priscilla Otti; and some state officials.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has reiterated his commitment to rebuilding public schools as part of the measures by his administration to restore the quality of education in the state.
Otti, who recalled the glorious past when he attended public schools from primary to university levels, spoke at the Atani and Aro Day celebrations on the December 25 and 26 respectively in Arochukwu Local Government Area, where he was a special guest.
Speaking at the Atani Day event, Governor Otti said the issue of education was central to the economic and social development policy of his government for Abia State.
“So whatever you want to do, you can count on my support. This school (venue of the event) is a primary school, so it will receive the same support all primary schools in Abia will receive. What we have said is that when you come into a public school owned by Government in Abia, you will know.
“There will be basic minimum standard, there will be libraries, laboratories; school blocks; teachers’ blocks and those standards we had in those days that brought us to this level. I didn’t go to a private school. I went to a community school, from there, I went to a government-owned secondary school and to a government university. We must bring back those days, we will bring them back,” Governor Otti said assuredly.
At the Aro Day celebration, the Governor said the 2024 budget, which, according to him, would be signed into law before the end of the year, provided 20% of its total expenditure, that is 20% of N567.2 billion, to education.
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“What I’m trying to say is that all our schools, be they primary, secondary, or tertiary will receive massive funding and the schools in Aro will not be left out,” he promised.
Speaking on road infrastructure in some parts of Abia North of the state, the governor said that the government had awarded contracts for the reconstruction of the road from Umuahia to Uzuakoli, Igbere, Abiriba all the way to Ohafia.
“We have also awarded the Ohafia-Abam-Okobo-Amuvi road. As a matter of fact, the contractors are already on site. They have assured me that before December 2024, they will hand over a completed, well-built road,” Otti affirmed.
Specifically on the road from Ohafia to Arochukwu, the governor recalled his conversation with President Bola Tinubu during his recent trip to Lagos, where he paid the president a Christmas visit at his private residence and assured of the support of the number one citizen.
Governor Otti quoted President Tinubu as saying, “There are no Federal Roads. Who is using the road?” I said it is Abia people,” the governor replied.
“Go and do the road and I will give you support,” the president reportedly told the governor.
Governor Otti informed the cheering crowd that the president has also approved for contractors handing some of the federal roads in the state to return to sites.
Otti was accompanied to the Atani and Aro Day celebrations by his wife, Priscilla Otti; Commissioner for Works, Otumchere Oti; and some of his senior aides among whom were the Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mazi Ugochukwu Okoroafor; Special Adviser on Internally Generated Revenue, Chimereze Okigbo and the General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Ogbonnia Okereke.